Attention PRS fans: The Archon is back. Having pulled the popular amp from its lineup at the start of 2021, PRS recently revived the Archon as a two-channel (clean and lead) heavyweight available both as a 50-watt 1x12 combo and a 50-watt head with matching 1x12 and 2x12 cabinets.
And the Archon is better than ever.
Indeed, while the Archon is known for its metal-tastic tones – the amp has gained praise from the likes of Devin Townsend, All That Remains’ Jason Richardson, Alluvial’s Wes Hauch and Bad Wolves’ Chris Cain, among others – the two-channel amp is a highly flexible design that covers a wide range of classic and modern rock tones as well. The Archon is not just for high-gain aficionados anymore.
“Our goals with the Archon were clear,” says Doug Sewell, PRS Amp Designer, “adjust the gain controls on the lead channel to allow for a wider array of rock tones, retain and enhance the stellar crystal-clear tones of the clean channel, and design it to provide maximum value. The process took some time and effort, but the Archon is everything we had hoped for and more.”
The new amp boasts a versatile lead channel, with gain controls voiced to provide more variety of tones – from earlier/more traditional rock to the Archon’s signature searing metal.
The clean channel, meanwhile, has remarkable clarity and offers a great pedal platform thanks to its ample headroom.
Additionally, the Archon is powered by two 6CA7 power tubes, which offer the best combination of EL34 and 6L6 tubes – smooth up top with tight low end, with plenty of crunch and articulation.
The intuitive layout includes a preamp section with volume, bright switch, treble, middle, bass, and master for each channel as well as global presence and depth controls.
What that means is you get an easy-to-operate all-in-one amp that covers the full tonal spectrum. Looking for snappy, single-coil sparkle? Simply turn up the master on the clean channel, lower the volume and adjust the three-band EQ to your taste. Want to add just a bit of bite? Crank the volume, adjust the EQ and you’re firmly in gritty, blues-rock territory.
To nail full-on rock and metal sounds, meanwhile, head on over to the lead channel. Keeping the volume low relative the master here will imbue your licks with blooming, expansive classic-rock-style overdrive tones, while boosting the volume and bass will help you achieve thick, grinding modern-metal power and glory in no time.
“The Archon gets a lot of attention for the very high gain on the lead channel. What people might not realize is that it has a great clean channel, too – there are several country players using Archons,” said Paul Reed Smith.
“Doug and the team did a great job of making sure the Archon not only kept its quality and versatility, but they made significant improvements. That’s not so easy.”
To find out more about the Archon, head to PRS.
